Last Minute Dinner Date

It’s been five years since we moved to northern Virginia from Capitol Hill. Right after that the pandemic came and the opportunity to meet neighbors was very limited. Then last year we finally met our next door neighbors who moved in almost two years ago. During the summer months we would see each other on our balconies. Over time we saw them at condo events like outdoor barbecues and Christmas parties. Now we have had an opportunity to visit with them at their house and they at ours. We are happy to keep an eye on Mister when Mrs goes away for the weekend or on a trip. We haven’t been in contact since Christmas for a variety of reasons and Mrs recently went on a ten day trip and returned last week. I texted her to see how she was doing and she replied by asking if we would like to join them for dinner at a local restaurant. But we had just ordered pick up from Moby Dick - our go to Persian place - for later in the day. So I asked her if they could stop in here instead, since we would already have dinner prepared. She said yes and would bring the wine and a treat. So we ordered a couple more items to cover dinner for four. When we brought the dinner home we simply set up all of the containers on the island and texted them when we were ready. It was such a nice evening to spend time with people again. It’s not easy making friends in a new place. This is a great start. 

The Surprise Package

It's always fun to receive unexpected packages in the mail. For whatever reason I can usually figure out what might be inside by looking at the return address. This large envelope seemed a little bulkier so I was a bit unsure. But when we opened it we were pleasantly surprised. In the land of the Internet, Facebook, email, and everything else digital it was a treat to actually get hard copy photos. The best part about the pictures was they were sent from a variety of sources funneled through one person and were pictures of very familiar faces.  We visited Milwaukee over the Fourth of July weekend and had an opportunity to visit with friends, colleagues, and neighbors - several that we have not seen for many years. Both my husband and I have such fond memories of all of them. We stay in closer touch with some more than others, but it was so heartwarming to see all these kind and wonderful people. That is what we miss most about living here after being in Milwaukee thirty years. But then I think of the snow and ice and am convinced we made the right choice. Just thinking about these occasions warms my heart.